[SET]
name: Upgrade THIS!
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Discharge/Thunderbolt
move 3: Thunder Wave/Magic Coat
move 4: Recover
item: Leftovers / Lum Berry
ability: Trace
nature: Calm
evs: 240 HP / 160 Def / 92 SpA / 16 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Porygon2 can handle several popular leads with ease, as Ice Beam and Discharge provide excellent coverage with only being Lanturn, Shedinja and Magnezone as resistors of the combination; none of which you would ever see as a lead. If it cannot kill something, rest assured that it will not go down without a fight, as it can cripple quick leads with Thunder Wave, or if you choose, it can send incoming statuses flying back towards the opponent's face with Magic Coat, which gets priority and that's nice for overriding Porygon2's slow speed. </p>
<p>Discharge is recommended over Thunderbolt on this set because Discharge allows Porygon2 to pull off a possible double-status if it happens to reflect any status back with Magic Coat prior to that. In addition, Porygon2 is not an offensive-based Pokemon, but is much more supportive-based, and Discharge assists with this strength. However, if you wish to use Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave can go over Magic Coat as your statusing move for an easier paralysis. </p>
<p>Leftovers is a given as a hold item to a support-based Pokemon, but Lum Berry can work as well to rid Porygon2 of status as it occurs, because you already have Recover to get your health back, so Leftovers isn't a requirement.</p>
<p>With this EV spread, Porygon2 survives Salamence's Draco Meteor and has extra Defense to take repeated hits from Gyarados and friends. This spread also survives a +2 Earthquake from Jolly Garchomp, as long as it doesn't have Life Orb, and retaliates with enough Special Attack to OHKO a 4 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD variation of Garchomp. Special Defense EVs can be moved to Defense if you're not concerned with beating Salamence leads.</p>
[SET]
Set name: Dimension Flipping
Move 1: Trick Room
Move 2: Thunderbolt
Move 3: Tri Attack/Ice Beam
Move 4: Recover
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Trace
Nature: Quiet/Sassy
EVs: 240 HP / 68 Def / 92 SpA / 108 SpD
IVs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set may seem quite similar to "Upgrade THIS!", however, it is played quite differently because of the perks received from Trick Room, but is still used as a lead. Being one of the few Trick Room users not weak to Pursuit, it can switch out nice and easily and actually be able to come back in later to attempt Trick Room again. Discharge is not an option on this set as trying to paralyze the opponent in Trick Room is counter-productive. Tri Attack is offered as an option on this set because it offers strong special STAB and gives even more chances for status. It's also a good option on this set because this set is more geared to setting up Trick Room than actually countering common leads, although most leads are fast, so it does counter them in a way.</p>
<p>One big pro for Trick Room Porygon2 is that his Recover becomes extremely quick during Trick Room conditions, allowing him to shrug off hits much easier than the "Upgrade THIS!" variation. It should be noted that Porygon2 is one of the few Trick Room users that actually have access to a reliable recovery move that isn't hindered by weather or that causes him to be asleep for 2 turns.</p>
<p>The EV spread here is a bit different than the other variant of this set. The difference is that Special Attack is much more appreciated on this set because Porygon2 will be able to fire off its attacks at a much higher speed under Trick Room. This is why a +SpA nature is a good idea on this set, however, a +SpD nature works just as well since it helps the reasoning for Recover.</p>
[SET]
Set name: NOT a Porygon-Z Wannabe
Move 1: Charge Beam
Move 2: Ice Beam
Move 3: Tri Attack
Move 4: Recover
Item: Leftovers
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>First off, this set, as the title states is not a Porygon-Z wannabe. The reason for this is that it's much more bulky because the low speed makes it less worthwhile to invest in, making HP EVs a necessity.</p>
<p>The Charge Beam set is no joke, and Porygon2 can be just as ruthless as Porygon-Z when it comes to this kind of thing. When something with 339 Special Attack to start off with is boosting its stats while doing damage at the same time, it's extremely painful. Then there's the fact that it can actually Recover its health after it's done enough Charge Beams, and take hits like a champ while it's at it. Tri Attack will be a deadly STAB after about 2 boosts.</p>
<p>This is the only set where both traits are viable, because Download may help the offensive nature of the set, but beware that it's not all that reliable, and that you had better be switching in on a Pokemon with higher defense than special defense.</p>
[OTHER OPTIONS]
<p>Agility is an option for those who don't enjoy Porygon2's absymal speed. Psych Up can annoy any opponent, especially Calm Minders. </p>
<p>Hidden Power [Ground] or [Fighting] take down Magnezone, Heatran, Weavile, and Tyranitar, but those are the only things that those moves are good for and they don't do much against anything else.</p>
<p>Porygon2 has a lot in the way of novelty moves, which can be devastating if used correctly. The prime of these are the exclusive Conversion and Conversion 2, which coupled with decent defenses and excellent recovery, can annoy the opponent immensely.</p>
<p>Leppa Berry and Recycle make a small mention, as a Recycle Porygon2 participated in the longest Netbattle match ever. In other words, let your PP and recovery be the Energizer Battery: keep going and going and going and going....</p>
<p>Toxic is usable over Thunder Wave/Magic Coat on the "Upgrade THIS!" set, but it's not recommended, because Magic Coat helps Porygon2 counter leads a lot better, and Thunder Wave is recommended over Toxic due to the more offensive nature of D/P.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Porygon2 is difficult to come up with universal EVs. It can be tailored to any need, but can become too specialized and essentially useless except to the things it was designed to get rid of. The suggested EVs for Porygon2 are a lot more of a guideline of what to spread to use than what is the best, because simply, it is a jack-of-all-trades.</p>
[OPINION]
<p>A super-fun-happy Pokemon to use, as it can do almost anything. Porygon2 can make a nice mixed tank, unlike the only other Tracer, Gardevoir. It also craps out status effects as if it had a big sneeze and sprayed its disgusting bacteria everywhere with every status effect possible. In the beginning of D/P, people did not notice this lowly drinking bird, but Porygon2 is starting to feel some sweet lovin' due to Trace making several top OU baddies cry (eg. Gyarados). Unfortunately, its versatility leads to a downfall: it can be tailored to do anything, but as we all know from real life, multi-tasking is hard, and Porygon2 finds it hard as well. Essentially, he's good at everything, but not great at anything. However, Porygon2 is destructive to any opponent's team if used correctly, and is usable in OU to the extreme. He is truly the drinking bird from hell.</p>
[COUNTERS]
<p>If you can survive Porygon2 for two or three turns and KO it in the process, you are likely a counter. Fast or bulky Choice sweepers, especially those with a decent Fighting-type move, will either KO it or force it out. Prime examples include Heracross and Machamp, both of whom welcome Guts status and score STAB super effective attacks against it. Blissey also walls it completely. Again, anything that Porygon2 fails to kill or has a decent offense will obliterate the Cyber Duck, however, it often comes at the price of getting statused. </p>
